Yearly Archives: 2008

Freaky Creatures Interview

by Fabio Rodighiero, Onrpg Channel Manager

Onrpg: When you started thinking about Freaky Creatures and designing it, which were the main ideas you wanted to develop, the main features you were looking for?

When we first thought about Freaky Creatures we wanted to let people create and customize their own creatures and we wanted enough combinations that people would end up with unique looking creatures.

We also wanted to create an experience that people could get into easily and explore it in their own way. If you just want to build weird creatures you can do that and create a lair for them. If battle is your thing you can jump right into combat.

It was also important that the various parts of the game were easy to understand.

Onrpg: Is there a storyline behind the game and can you give us some hints about it?

There is a storyline and a full universe behind Freaky Creatures. In the far reaches of space humanity has progressed and is no longer run by a government. Instead the Corporium, an assembly of the all the corporations in human space rules. War between humans has been outlawed, all conflicts are resolved by battling creatures for everything from credits to entire planets. Creature trainers are the most valuable commodity and having good ones can make or break a company’s success.

Along with the humans there are a wide variety of alien races, some hostile, some friendly others indifferent to humanity. It’s a rich universe with interesting characters at every turn.

The main storyline follows Alexx Stargazer his best friend, Miri Soria and the Kurrath, Rarth. Alexx’s father mysteriously disappeared and in their search they uncover more than they planned on.

The initial place you’ll be seeing the story is in the comics available on the Freaky Creatures Community. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the characters make their way into the game eventually.

Onrpg: Considering that a user can create his own creature, character creation seem to be a core feature for the game. How many choices are there?

Creature creation is a big part of the game. There are 3.2 billion possible visual combinations and rising. We have 11 types of base creatures and over 100 parts to customize them with. You can also choose things like theme music so even your creature’s audio can be personalized.

After launch we’ll be adding more parts and powers to configure your creature with.

Onrpg: Is there a leveling system for the creatures? How does it work? Will leveling up unlock new features such as new abilities, items etc.?

You can level up your creatures and it does unlock new abilities, items and gameplay features. You can also spend points you get every other level to customize your creature more.

Onrpg: How does the combat system work? What’s the core ideas you wanted to develop?

The combat system is turn based. It was important to have something that was quick and easy to get into yet had a lot of depth for the more experienced player. We took a lot of inspiration from trading card games which have a wealth of strategy and aren’t depending on ping rate. One of the things we were looking to achieve was to let the player discover many different ways to build and play. There are a lot of different strategies you can use to win a match.

Onrpg: Will the game be just PvP or will there be also some PvE content?

Currently, the game features two major components, battling and the lair. Battling is PVP and Lair is PVE. In the future we’ll be looking to develop out both aspects of the game and add additional PVE and PVP content post launch.

Onrpg: What about the community? Will there be community oriented features (guilds etc.)? Or some social network kind of things maybe?

The Community is an important aspect of Freaky Creatures. We definitely want to encourage people to interact both inside and outside the game. One of the major elements of Freaky Creatures is the community site. Every player has a personal page which they can customize which shows off their trainer, their creatures and their collections of creatures, parts and powers. You can also view pages for each creature a player has which show detailed information on each creature.

The website also allows you to form a Team of up to 5 players. Your team gets its own mini-site, management tools. You can design a logo for your team, pick themes and choose other customization options.

The Lair is a great way to interact with friends too. You can create a custom lair and then open it up so other creatures can visit. Each creature can have a lair.

Onrpg: In the trailer one could see the creatures busy with various occupations. In what ways can they express themselves?

Creatures have dances and a number of emote animations that allow them to express themselves directly. The lair is also a place where a creature can express itself. How you choose to build your lair and what you put in it can reflect how you imagine your creature’s personality.

Onrpg: Are you planning to release expansions in the future?

Absolutely. In fact, we already have something very exciting in the works. I can’t talk about it just yet but it’ll be taking the Freaky Creatures universe in an unexpected direction.

Onrpg: What kind of awesome must-have goodies are available for Freaky Creature Players?

I think the most obvious “awesome goody” is if you buy all the creature figures you’ll get an 11th digital only creature to use. The only way to get that creature is to complete your set.

Another cool element is pets. Pets act as a companion for your creature. Each pet has a mean and a nice form and they accompany your creatures everywhere.

You’ll also be able to buy many objects for your lair from the Creature Club Store with credits you gain from battling and playing mini games. Some of the objects will be rare, expensive and not always available.

Eve Online Review

by Gabriele Giorgi, Onrpg writer

More than 20 years ago, on machines that can now be found only in an attic or a museum, a game called Elite appeared. Starships, planets, orbiting stations were all made by polygons (really the best graphics you could ask for, at that time) and the player took the role of a space pilot traveling through different star systems. What made that game really unique was its absolutely freeform approach: you could be anything you wanted… a trader, a soldier, a pirate, a smuggler, a bounty hunter, a killer… the choice was up to you.

After two sequels and lots of imitations throughout the years, in the 2003 the MMORPG EVE Online was released. EVE was profoundly inspired by Elite, as the producers revealed in some interviews, and brought that freeform concept to the upper level, letting thousands of players roam the stars at the same time, the first step to create a real universe.

The software house CCP, based in Iceland, released EVE for a short time in the stores; the game was published by Simon & Schuster Interactive, but the boxed version did not stay on the shelves very long: CCP bought back its rights to distribute it via internet (even if a new release in stores is planned for 2010), making it one of the few really independent MMORPGs on the market. They developed versions for all platforms and had the tutorials translated in many foreign languages, to appeal a larger public.

A long time in the future…
In a galaxy far far away called New Eden, the descendants of the first human pioneers who got there 35,000 before through a space anomaly called EVE are now rebuilding their society and technology. In the millennia, they have evolved again with different views and beliefs, and now that they have all discovered again space travel, they can do nothing but clash. The orthodox Amarr, the bellicose Minmatar, the libertarian Gallente, the efficient Caldari, they are all struggling to avenge old grudges or to annex sectors of space to their faction.

This background is presented in the initial cinematic. Afterwards you are prompted to choose one of the four playable races and select your field of specialization, and your journey through the stars will begin.

Gameplay
In the game your avatar will be a customizable image of your character against a background of your choice, but when you are in space you will actually control your current spaceship, be it a tiny shuttlepod or an imposing battlecruiser.

The management of your ship is one of the most important aspects of the game: you have to fit it with all the equipment you need to mine asteroids for ore or scavenging wreckages, defend yourself from enemies and pirates and so on. Larger ships will have more energy and slots available, but you will need the appropriate skills to pilot them.

This leads us to the other capital aspect, the evolution of your character: there are so many skills you can never hope to learn them all, no matter how much you play… and this is due also to a very innovative feature of EVE: skills are developed in real time. When you select a skill to train, you will be notified of the precise time to get to the next level; at higher levels it will take days to advance. This can also be used to your advantage: if you know you cannot log in the game for days, you can just select one of the longest skill to train. There is no penalty for switching skills and all partial advancements will be saved.

Skills are needed in order to fit and use most of the available equipment. There are really thousands of different items, each with its own description and peculiar requirements. There are so many you can easily get lost, when browsing through them in the market.

Traveling from one place to another can be a bit boring: you set the route and the autopilot will take you to your destination: if you are not passing through dangerous regions of space, you can even go away from keyboard and do something else while you wait.

Also there are no fixed career paths: you can choose whatever you want to become simply developing the related skills. You can be a scientist or an engineer, researching new blueprints or using them to produce items and even ships. You can wander through space, exploring and looking for interesting artefacts or rich asteroids. You can enlist in the army of your faction. You can simply make money by extracting ore. You can join (or form) a corporation and climb its ranks. No path is set in stone, and you can really decide and even change on the fly.
One easy way to garner money and reputation is through quests: these are provided by agents and in different stations; unfortunately they seem to be a bit repetitive, and you might find a contact who will offer you the very same story arc you have just completed for another agent.
Anyway, whatever you decide to do, don’t forget that, like in real life, in EVE money makes the world(s) go round, so always keep an eye on your ISK (InterStellar Kredits) balance.

Combat and death
Spacefaring is risky, especially when you venture into systems not patrolled by police: when you bump into someone hostile, your ship might be blown to pieces, but there is always an escape pod to save your hide… unless your opponent is a human Player Killer with the bad habit to “pod” his enemies, i.e. to shoot and destroy their escape pod.
In the first case, all you need is a simple insurance for your ship; for the latter an interesting solution permits you to retain your character: a clone. It’s important to keep your clone up to date, since its “memory” will hold up to a certain amount of skill points.
Combat itself involves using your equipment at the right time and keeping your ship at optimal distance for your opponent, depending on the weapon you use. The game calculates the odds of hitting the target with complex formulas that take into account many spatial factors. On the other hand, the laws of physics have been somewhat bent, so you will not see collisions, nor there will be any gravitational attraction between objects in space.

Graphics and sound
Each race has its own distinctive design for ship and space stations. The graphic effects for stars and nebulae are particularly noteworthy. While the textures might look quite plain at the beginning, you have the option to download an additional graphic pack to enhance them, along with improved light effects.
The sound theme is mostly techno: nothing particularly memorable, but it fits well with the setting and, like in most science fiction series, the computer speaks with a female voice.

Community
One of the distinctive features of EVE is that all players share the same game server, “Tranquility.” There has been only one server until 2006, when a new one, “Serenity,” was open in China, dedicated exclusively to Chinese players. Thus every action of every player affects the entire universe like no other MMORPG: prices are subject to the laws of supply and demand; space pirates can become infamous throughout the universe and have the bounty on their heads increase more and more; group of players may form huge corporations that will have their impact on the balance of power, building space stations and issuing their shares.

And it goes even beyond that: for example, when one corporation built the first Titan ever, the most powerful ship available, news spread as a wildfire through all the server… but it did not last long: the Titan was destroyed by an opponent faction, and the rumour of their deed spread even faster.

On the net there are many websites and forums revolving about the game and its mechanics, and CCP also publishes the official EVE magazine, E-ON (NOT a webzine): you can subscribe to it and it will be mailed to your home quarterly.

Conclusions
EVE Online is undoubtedly a unique game, but it’s not for everyone. Many of its features make it different from other MMORPGs, but this might not appeal most people. Moreover, merits like its freeform play might also be perceived as its greatest flaws. To find out if you can get hooked by it, the best way is the 14-day trial version. Just play and see if you are ready to join this living, breathing universe where the sky’s the limit.

Pros:
– available for all operative systems (Windows, Macintosh, Linux)
– dedicated and passionate community
– all players really contribute with their actions in shaping the universe
Cons:
– steep learning curve (but tutorials might help)
– repetitive quests
– long waiting times when traveling from one place to another

EVE Online: Quantum Rise Expansion Released in Full

CCP delivers last stage of free winter expansion

CCP, one of the world’s leading independent game developers, today fully deployed EVE Online: Quantum Rise, the ninth free expansion for EVE Online. In September, CCP pushed the first staged delivery of Quantum Rise to the servers ahead of schedule-allowing for impressive 1000-player single-system battles and slashing lag in major market hubs and across all aspects of gameplay. Today’s release brings the final pieces of Quantum Rise to players and sets the stage for future expansions.

Several improvements in Quantum Rise include:

  • More upgrades to our hardware and software structures as a further implementation of the EVE64 and StacklessIO initiatives
  • Certificates provide benchmarks for the skill system, goals for new players, help during corporation recruiting and bragging rights
  • A new medal system allows corporations to build and bestow their own custom rewards for whatever achievements they can imagine-anywhere from participation in a major fleet battle to a milestone in corporate allegiance
  • UI changes include a moveable HUD, module recharge timers and weapon grouping
  • In-game Subscription Services allow players to convert 60-day EVE Time Codes (ETCs) into two 30-day items in game. They can be traded freely through all regular means (via market or contract or directly between players) and can be activated at any time
  • The new industrial capital ship, the Orca
  • Autopilot avoidance and new routes to bring safer, faster travel in New Ed

“Quantum Rise is yet another successful iteration on an already great game with a proven track record of delivering a deep, immersive, intelligent experience for one of the most demanding audiences in the MMO industry,” says Torfi Frans Olafsson, Senior Producer for EVE Online. “We are proud to be delivering Quantum Rise as a continuation of our vision of building the ultimate science-fiction simulator that we will continue to grow and enhance until Earth will be taken over by extraterrestrial races and we will be forced to put the project on hold while we take up arms and liberate our home planet.”

CCP is proud to bring Quantum Rise to you just days after EVE Fanfest in Reykjavik, Iceland, where there were several major announcements during the keynote speech for the legions of dedicated fans in attendance. Check in with https://secure.eve-online.com/redir.asp?aid=104770 over the coming weeks for more information and a recap of the Fifth Annual Party at the Top of the World.

Bounty Bay Online: Skill Weeks on the Seven Seas

Skill Brochures 25 percent off in Bounty Bay Online

The life of a pirate is tough, to gain experience even tougher. This is true in the world of online role-playing games as well as in real life. To gain respect you have to improve your skills constantly in order to develop yourself. Only those who work steadily will become a respected online adventurer. But there is light at the horizon: Thanks to the integrated item-shop, players with a Free-2-Play account can boost their personal development slightly.
Until November 26th, players of Bounty Bay Online on the Free2Play server “Mary Read” can buy all skill brochures with a 25 percent discount.

With the help of skill brochures, players can choose to boost certain skills temporarily. This option won’t render your character the most famous buccaneer, adventurer or merchant over night, but Columbus didn’t find America without some personal effort neither.

Zu Online: New Zones—Frozen Sea & Wei-Yang Palace

Two new zones-Frozen Sea and Wei-Yang Palace will be released in version 1.8.01 of Zu Online. The background info of these two new zones will be shown first as follow:

1. Frozen Sea—To Reseal the Dragon Lord
The Dragon Lord was born 12,000 years ago. Soon after his birth, he turned the northern lands into ice bound cold zones. The Dragon Lord was so fierce that no one dared attempt to stop his evil doings except Master Mind. So, Master Mind had to fight the Dragon Lord alone. After fighting the Dragon Lord intensely for several years, Master Mind finally defeated him and sealed him at the bottom of an ancient temple using the Flame Seal. Soon, Master Mind moved the temple to the Frozen Sea in the northeast of the northern lands. However, about 9,000 years after that, rumor had it that the Dragon Lord might break the seal and regain his freedom. As an excellent inner cultivator, it is time for you to take on the historical mission of resealing the Dragon Lord. So, you have to intrude into the chilling cold of the Frozen Sea to look for the materials to create the Flame Seal and reseal the Dragon Lord.

2. Wei-Yang Palace—A Monumental Legend
Tens of thousands years ago, the Ghosty Mansion Lord–Lord Daluo realized the so-called balance of the Heaven was in danger on every side because of fairy Leeshew’s words. Lord Daluo united his old friends, including Sparrow Mansion Lord and North Star Lord to attack Zontan Palace aiming to create a new “balance” of Heaven. However, as they were attacking Zontan Palace, the Sparrow Mansion Lord changed sides suddenly with the forces of Purple Mansion. So Lord Daluo was defeated and then was deprived of his immortal title and descended to the world. The Zontan Palace War was earthshaking. Wei-Yang Palace was one of the major battlefields though it was merely a side palace of Zontan Palace.

Soon after the Zontan Palace War, Wei-Yang Palace turned peaceful again albeit with deep wounds. However, Sparrow Mansion Lord colluded with the Blood Demon unexpectedly and attempted to demonize and capture the most valuable treasure of Wei-Yang Palace—Secret Ruler in order to get the powerful supernatural powers. So, Wei-Yang fell into crisis yet again.

To view the two new zones please visit the Zu Online Screenshot Gallery.

Angels Online: Lost Atlantis Rare Pet Overview

Angels Online prides itself on its distinct pets. Pets can help players level up fast and defeat monsters in game. Players can obtain different pets through different ways of raising them. Today, the Angels Online team will give a detailed introduction to rare pets.

Why rare?
For ordinary pets, the same pet egg can be hatched into different ordinary pets with different attack skills. While rare pets can only be obtained by defeating powerful BOSS. For example, Brute’s Egg, Beast’s Egg, Nature’s Egg, Elf Egg and Dragon Egg are all rare pet eggs in Angels Online.

The Brute’s Egg possesses outstanding defensive abilities and basic attributes. It will possess new skills after players use a Medium Blood Certificate on it. The pets available from the Brute’s Egg are violent wolves, including Blood Wolf, Evil Werewolf and 4 other kinds. It is very helpful in battle.

Players have a very slim chance of getting a Beast’s Egg, which can only be obtained from BOSSes in Nightmare Cave. However, it is very popular in game because of its super basic attributes. After its level is raised, it can change its shape. Although it is not as frightening as the Brute’s Egg, it is still attractive with some cute pets available, such as the Kung Fu Bear.

In Eden, the Nature’s Egg is the best one because of the three rare pets it can hatch and its dazzling shape. If players can obtain a Crying Cactus or a Shouting Cactus, PVP battles will be much easier.

Elf Egg’s are available for players after the release of the new expansion, the Lost Atlantis. They are charming because of their cute, lovely shape. Be careful! An advanced Elf Pet possesses output damage as high as that of a Summoner.

In the eastern countries, dragons are considered equal to Gods. However, they are considered evil in western countries. In Angels Online, Dragon pets stand for the respect due veteran players’. It is not important whether a dragon pet possesses high attributes or not they are always highly sought after pets.

The Wheel of Time MMO in the works

Red Eagle Games is bursting on to the digital- entertainment scene, launching its new Los Angeles based videogame publishing studio with the rights to one of the most popular and beloved fantasy epics of all times-Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series.

A Wheel of Time feature-film production is planned with Red Eagle Entertainment’s executives Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon as producers, and now Red Eagle is unveiling plans to bring Jordan’s fantasy universe to life via two distinct lines of interactive entertainment.

A line of stand-alone Wheel of Time games is planned for release on all major videogame platforms, including consoles, personal computers, handheld systems and wireless devices. In addition, Red Eagle will launch and operate a massively multiplayer online role-playing game encompassing the themes, characters and world of the Wheel of Time novels.

The rich details of Jordan’s meticulously crafted series have captivated readers since 1990, when The Eye of the World, the first book in the series, was published. Eleven additional books, including one prequel, have since been added to the series and have consistently appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List with the last four of his novels in the series debuting at No. 1. Jordan passed away in 2007 at the age of 58, but a final book, A Memory of Light, will be finished by fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson using notes and a partial draft left withJordan’s wife and editor, Harriet Rigney, and is expected to be published in fall 2009 by Tor Books.

“I am confident in Red Eagle Games’ ability to capture the timeless appeal of The Wheel of Time story as they adapt its characters and themes into this new electronic medium,” Rigney said. “I expect fans of the series will be delighted by these new interactive additions to the Wheel of Time universe.”
Jordan’s wildly popular books have been translated into 24 languages, and have sold about 44 million copies worldwide. In addition, the series has a vast global on-line community of tens of thousands of dedicated fan Web sites.

“There are few properties as well-loved and influential as Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series,” said Rick Selvage, chairman and president of Red Eagle Entertainment. “The Wheel of Time books have captured the imagination of millions of readers around the world, and we expect our interactive recreations of Jordan’s complex universe to garner a similar level of devotion and enthusiasm.”

Red Eagle Entertainment is a Malibu production company with a focus on adapting Robert Jordan’s celebrated fantasy epic “The Wheel of Time” into high-quality filmed entertainment and interactive video games. Founded in 2003 by Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon, Red Eagle Entertainment is producing a live-action motion picture based upon the “The Eye of the World,” the first novel in The Wheel of Time series. In addition, Red Eagle Entertainment is the driving force behind the recent launch of Red Eagle Games, a new video game studio undertaking the transformation of Jordan’s literary masterpiece into video games for the personal computer, game consoles, mobile and wireless devices, and online play.

Eudemons: VIP – ignore the Time and Space!

Cronus is a great city. The thing is, if you go to one place too frequently, even if it is Elysium, you will find it a dull place, too. Sometimes, you’ve got no choice. Every time you need to withdraw items from your warehouses, deposit eudemons and eggs in your Eudemon Warehouses or hatch the eudemon eggs you get from the monsters, you have to go back to those cities for help. What’s worse, if you can’t even remember which warehouse you’ve deposited a specific item, you know what you will have to go through! No one likes to waste time on the way, but, do we have any options?

Definitely.

There is a kind of people called ‘Very Important Person’ (VIP). But in Eudemons Online, we define these three letters as ‘Very Important Player’.

As a VIP, the circumstances mentioned above will the last things you need to worry about! You can enjoy the privileges below:

1. You are authorized to remotely open your warehouses in any cities. In other words, you don’t have to waste your time in running between cities and you can deposit your precious items in any warehouses whenever you want in case they are robbed by other guys.

2. You are authorized to open all the Eudemon Warehouses remotely. You may have deposited some eudemons or eggs in different Eudemon Warehouses. With this privilege, eudemons can be instantly summoned to help you. Want to hatch more eudemons? Just open the warehouses and take out the eggs you want.

3. How long will it take you to hatch an egg? Yes, the answer is 12 hours, but that’s for the common players. As a VIP, you will be provided with a hatcher of your own! Guess what, the whole process will only take you 3 hours even if you are offline. Awesome?

4. You may collect countless eudemon eggs of various types during your adventure. How to deal with the eudemons that you don’t need? Drive them away? Don’t be so generous. Now we give you another option. Some eudemons can be exchanged for points, certain amount of which will bring you useful items or a better eudemon you need.

5. Want to try your luck? No problem. VIP can pay 28 EPs to have a lottery anytime and anywhere.

Time and space can affect something, but sometimes, time and space can be nothing.

Conquer Online – New Dynasty – Ninja Approaching Part I

The ninja is an expert of stealth, specialized in guerilla warfare. Relying on agility and reflexes, ninjas frown upon the use of heavy armors. Now the master of the katana and Ninjutsu is rising up in the epic world of Conquer Online. With mysterious skills and exotic equipment, the new class of Conquer Online’s expansion, New Dynasty, will bring players a brand-new exciting gameplay experience.

With origins stemming from ancient China, the art of assassination was developed to its zenith in feudal Japan. Shrouded in secrecy and cloistered in their shadowed guilds, Ninjas have long been a mystery. Ninja is a master of stealth, subterfuge, deception, and of course, ninjutsu. With the ability of dual-wield and powerful Shuriken, Ninjas strike swiftly from darkest corners and then disappear under the cover of the night, leaving only horror and death to foes.

Ninjas are hired by different warlords to perform selective strikes, espionage and assassination. However, as mercenaries, Ninjas are loyal only unto themselves. Attracted by the legendary tales about the origins of martial arts, ninjas have crossed the ocean to the Middle Kingdom to pursue perfection in their art of ninjutsu. With their fabled weapons, Ninjas are ready to whip up a storm in the world of Conquer!

After several months of waiting, new class Ninja is eventually ready for its debut. The highly anticipated new class is scheduled to be unveiled around this Christmas. According to design concepts, the Ninja is the second dual-wielding class after Trojan, who possesses superior melee attack strength, but has much lower defense. Keep your eyes peeled for the next news update focusing on the ninja’s armory and arsenal.